


19

by whatever_forever



Category: Welcome to Night Vale, wtnv
Genre: M/M, wtnv - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 09:24:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2768024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatever_forever/pseuds/whatever_forever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An explanation of Earl's "we could have had something" line. 18 year old Cecil is excited about pursuing a career in radio and is very much in love with his cute boyfriend. Earl Harlan doesn't know exactly what he wants to do with his fragile life just yet, but he has just turned nineteen. Nineteen is going to prove to be a very strange, very long year for Earl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	19

**Author's Note:**

> this is literally just an excuse to throw out some dirty jokes about the moon
> 
> also includes my headcanon that a key component in orange milk is alcohol.
> 
> Warnings: swearing, underage drinking

Dating Cecil Palmer had a way of making Earl feel fucked. You know, aside from the obvious times to feel that way.  
Earl went hopelessly weak in the knees at the sound of Cecil's voice. When they held hands, he hoped his fingers didn't shake too noticeably, that he wasn't breathing too hard, or that he wasn't staring too much. He thanked the imperfect heavens every day that his boyfriend was a generally nice person who wouldn't ever take advantage of him, because he totally could if he wanted to. Earl knew he'd always be there for Cecil, and Cecil was sure to do the same for him. Their love was born of a lifelong friendship, wasn't it?  
Earl would always be there for Cecil. It really did seem that way when they sat together, legs dangling over the pier at the Night Vale harbor. Lisa Liedenwacht-Hieranborg, a cheerleader and semi-aquatic webbed-fingered being, was supposedly throwing some wild graduation party. Both boys had been invited, but they started feeling cramped and out of place fifteen minutes in, so eventually they escaped with a case of warm orange milk, took Mrs. Harlan's neon grey hybrid coupe, and found themselves talking and drinking casually at the harbor.  
"Oh, oh! Oh! Earl, I've got one!" Cecil giggled, giddily covering his mouth with his hand, as if the words on his tongue were going to slide right out if he didn't stop them. "This is great, this one is so great. What do you call the moon if it has a lot of sex with the earth?"  
Earl had forgotten about their current conversation matter. It was Cecil's favorite, especially when he was drunk on orange milk. Dirty jokes about the moon. Earl simply shrugged and looked his boyfriend in the eye, starting to feel a little tipsy himself. That warm orange milk was some strong stuff.  
"Okay, get this, are you ready?" Cecil was almost beginning to slur, and if it was anyone else it would've sounded sloppy, but Earl caught onto every word, each sound was still so soft and familiar that Earl was worried he would melt inside. Literally. He had to get better about regulating his inner body temperature.  
"I guess you could say it's . . . whore-biting! Get it? Get it, like orbiting, because the moon orbits around the earth, but with 'whore' stuck in there? Don't tell Old Woman Josie that I just swore."  
The water was just a few inches beneath their sneakers now, and Earl smiled at their reflections in the gently spiraling waves. Cecil was in a fit of laughter now, tugging at the fabric of Earl's t-shirt. Earl kept still, only moving to grin back at Cecil. Drunk Cecil was a lot of fun, of course, but Earl already couldn't wait until the morning when he'd be himself again. He longed now for Cecil's sincerity and compassion.  
One week ago had been Earl's nineteenth birthday. He was a year old for his grade, having had to redo kindergarten because his teacher had actually been a giant tarantula who taught the children false information about lawn ornaments and facts and statistics of the corrupt systems and inner-workings of fire ants. Turning nineteen shouldn't have been a big deal, but Earl felt funny things inside of him ever since that day passed. It was something he couldn't really explain, but it gripped at his insides, tugged at his mind, and made him feel almost like a controllable puppet. Something was growing inside of him, and he couldn't explain it.  
Cecil had noticed that Earl wasn't laughing now. "Hey, Earl? Earl, what are you looking at?"  
Earl's gaze drifted to Cecil, but all he saw was the irregular circling patterns that the other boy's pupils made as they traced the reflections that Earl had been looking at before.  
"No," Cecil whispered, his voice so low and hoarse that Earl could barely hear him. "No, no, no no. Earl," He sunk his shoulders and lifted his eyes to look Earl in the eyes, "Earl, how long has that been there? I thought it was just mirrors that did that, I thought-"  
Earl's mouth dropped. It had been years since Cecil's mother had been gone, but of course he still remembered what she had told him. He always covered every mirror and avoided looking strangers in the eye, and anything with reflective qualities was off limits.  
"Cecil, no. That won't hurt you. There are so many things here that will, but the water-"  
Cecil was still looking at him with wide, drunk eyes. Earl sighed and stood up. You can't reason with regular Cecil about this kind of thing, so what was he even trying to do?  
"Earl, I think I'm gonna pass out."  
Earl sighed. He picked Cecil up and held him in both arms. Cecil's head drooped, his eyes closed. He was so light when his mind wasn't with him. They made it to the car. Earl could feel something coming over him, like a thick blanket falling over his body, and he wanted nothing more than a shared unconsciousness with the boy in his arms. Cecil was slumped against the car as Earl unlocked the door. They fell asleep holding hands, leaning against each other in the backseat.


End file.
